A thriller of a different flavor, “Inside Experience” offers social media participants to help move the plot of the story and decide the outcome of events. “Inside,” starring Emmy Rosseum, is an online thriller funded by Toshiba and Intel that debuted July 25th.

Have you ever wanted to get inside the head of a filmmaker or look behind the scenes as a movie unfolds? Have you ever wanted to decide a movie’s plot or a character’s fate while watching that movie develop? Here’s your chance to participate in a fully immersive movie experience.

Rosseum plays “Christina Perasso,” a young woman whose life takes a turn when she leaves a Seattle coffee shop and ends up in an unknown room with no outside contact. She has no idea how she got in this room – or why – but when she discovers her kidnappers left her a Toshiba Satellite P775 laptop, powered by an Intel second generation chip, she sets up Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other accounts and starts trying to reach the outside.

Directed by D.J. Caruso, the laptop is a perfect idea as a tool for Rosseum’s character because it can also serve as her social media webcam, she uses it to show her viewers her surroundings and to also find clues and ask viewers to assist her to unravel these puzzles, in hopes of finding out more about her capture, surroundings, and (hopefully!) eventual escape.

Caruso says, “We wanted to make this an addictive experience for the viewer, … whether they’re watching the film segments or participating in the social media segments, the whole experience makes an entirely different film, so viewers or participants can help steer the film in a different direction.

Social Media Director Ben Tricklebank says, “it takes a traditional storytelling narrative, but tries to allow it to unfold through social media… and creating a story through those platforms.” Caruso adds, “it’s a little bit unnerving, but I mean that in an exciting way as a filmmaker.”

Fans can participate in several ways, through the site’s own blog, through the project’s Facebook page or through Twitter, by following @theinsideexp and the hashtag #theinsideexperience

Fans can post clues, offer poor Christina advice and support and some clues and ideas will be worked into the series episodes.

Definitely a different kind of thriller – one in which the viewer isn’t a passive watcher but an interactive participant. The new wave of movie going future or not, it’s a cool concept and – warning! Very addictive!

The horror genre is most notable for its ability to make us squirm in our seats, jump out of our skins, and despite the victim not being able to hear our helpful hints, we never fail to yell, “RUN!!” at the screen. There’s a sense of helplessness the viewer experiences as the victim makes all the wrong choices, never quite grasping the peril they’re in, until it’s too late. Finally, our shouts will no longer be in vain, but rather contribute to how the movie unfolds.

13^th Street has developed a new way for movie-goers to experience the horror genre with their film Last Call.  The first of its kind, Last Call invites the in-coming audience to enter their cell phone numbers into a speed dial database. At a certain point in the film, the victim makes a call for help, only that call rings an audience member’s phone. The selected audience member, then, tells the victim whether they should go up the stairs, or down, help another in need or get the heck outta dodge, making each viewing of the movie a unique experience.

The concept is new and exciting, but brings several questions to mind. First of all, it seems like it would be quite fun for the selected audience member, but would it really be all that enjoyable for the rest of the viewers who didn’t get the call? Secondly, what if the selected audience member makes all of the wrong decisions, or worse, all of the right decisions? It could make for a pretty uneventful movie. Lastly, how long is the victim going to keep you on the phone; those minutes aren’t free, you know?

All in all, you have to give 13^th Street some credit for taking an original concept and making it into a reality. As for how successful interactive movies will be is debatable. After all, it’s bad enough that people talk on their phones during movies, but are we really going to start encouraging it? I say, let the victim fail on their own. It’s what we all want anyway, right?

What do you think?